Once a certain level of competency is attained, golf can be an extremely relaxing and enjoyable sport. Unfortunately, it is necessary for the beginner to learn numerous fundamentals before reaching any level of consistency. One of the most important fundamentals is to learn a proper weight shift. The proper weight shift involves transferring the weight from both feet to the inside sole of the rear foot during the backswing so that the inside sole of the rear foot can be used to push off, and thereafter transferring the weight to the front foot during the power swing to promote the transfer of weight to the outside of the front foot and through the ball. During the backswing, transfer of weight to the outside of the rear foot instead of the inside, or the failure to transfer weight to the rear foot at all, will result in a poorly struck golf shot.
Unfortunately, this is just one of many aspects of the golf swing that a new golfer must focus on. In fact, U.S. Pat. No. 3,410,562 discloses a golf club with interchangeable reminder buttons which are securable to the shaft of the golf club to remind the golfer of any one of a number of fundamentals. Unfortunately, by overly focusing on one or more of these fundamentals, the golfer tends to become tense, and may lose a sense of natural rhythm necessary for the golf swing.
Accordingly, most instructional aids to insure a proper weight shift have focused on physically restraining the golfer or altering the golfer's stance. Since it is desired to keep the weight of the golfer on the inside of the rear foot, numerous devices have been developed to transfer the weight of the golfer onto that portion of the foot. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,145,055 to O'Brien discloses a golf training device simulating a conventional golf ball with an opening which is removably attached to the spike of a golf shoe to lift the outer edge of the foot, thereby preventing significant weight from being transferred to the outer half of the rear foot. Similarly, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,682,425 and 5,212,894 to Paparo disclose golf shoe insoles which raise the outer portion of the rear foot so that the weight of the golfer will be forced onto the inside portion of the rear foot during the weight transfer. Specifically, Paparo discloses a resilient foam pad sized to cover the heel area of the shoe up to the front of the arch and includes a wedge-shaped lateral cross-sectional area with the thickest portion of the wedge formed along one lateral edge tapering across the insole to the opposite lateral edge. In use, the thicker, lateral edge is positioned toward the outside of the rear foot away from the instep. The instep is conventionally defined as the middle arched portion opening to the inside edge of the foot. Paparo teaches that the purpose of the wedge is to provide tactile pressure sensation to the golfer's rear foot that will consciously and subconsciously result in the proper positioning of the rear foot during the golf swing.
Unfortunately, particularly while walking the golf course over a period of miles, such adapters can be very uncomfortable. While Simmons teaches that the resulting weight transfer is desirable in that it causes different muscle groups to be exercised, it is unclear whether altering the natural walking stride is desirable from a health standpoint. In addition, upon removal of the adapters which physically reposition the foot, the golfer must remember and implement the proper technique while observing the normal flat foot stance. Unfortunately, the stances are quite different and the techniques learned with the adapter in place may not be effectively transferred, once the adaptor is removed.
Another issue is whether wearing an instructional device which physically moves you into the proper stance is proper, regardless of whether it is technically permitted under rules of the local golf association.
Accordingly, an improved instructional aid to assist golfers in promoting a proper weight shift is needed.